A Wavering Flame
by Yamino-Kei
Summary: When your past proves to be something other than what you first thought, are you still who you believe yourself to be?
1. Prologue

_A/N: This is essentially the same story as "A Fragile Flame", the original of which can be found at my old account Death-Angel-Hikari. There have been a few revisions, additions, and basic changes made (I'm OC that way) throughout the prologue and first chapter I'd uploaded before, but the overall premise is still there._

_Now, without further ado…_

* * *

**Prologue**

Metallic clanging, whirring, the occasional suppressed shout, more clanging and other sounds of collision. The young teen winced at the noise barrage around him as he walked down the cool, sterile hallway lined in pale gray stone.

Maroon eyes gaze evenly ahead, darting to either side now and again as he passed a number of metal doors with small window-like spaces near the center, taking in what he could see of what went on behind them. None of these were what he sought. He sighed, ran a hand through his hair as he reached an intersection and turned left.

He was used to the ever-crossing passages, ambiguous room names, the constant noise of battles with spinning tops – "spinning tops of doom", as one of his frequent companions had called them, a designation that made him smirk with amusement every so often. He was used to it because he'd had to traverse those passages, enter one room or another, and participate in a number of those battles himself practically every day.

The pale teen, looking even paler in his dark tank top and dark baggy pants, knew the place almost his entire life, having grown up there since the death of his parents. Once in a while, he'd feel something, a bleak emptiness tug at his heart, for this missing piece of his psyche. He remembered very little of his childhood before the endless corridors of stone and harsh yet effective training techniques. What little remained of his memories were hazy at best, yet comforting in his loneliest, most troubled moments when he chose to relive them in his dark, dreary little room for one. He remembered maroon eyes not unlike his own; a gentle smile; an encouraging voice patiently explaining how to hold a shooter and aim at the dish. There had been weekly visits to a nearby park, trips to the riverside, the occasional movie… an ideal childhood, really.

He'd forgotten, now, how long it had been since the airplane crash. The worst in commercial aviary history, if he recalled the news description correctly. But he'd been very young then, only around five or six. He'd stayed with a friend of his father's for a while, until another man – Balkov – had come for him. Balkov – this graying middle-aged man with a hard voice and a hint of evil in his dark eyes - had told him that there was a place for him in the training facility he ran, that his father had been planning to send him there when he was old enough, and that his grandfather had given permission for him to go, to board there. _Your grandfather even agreed to handle the expenses, as he has custody but is unable to come and get you himself, young one_, Balkov had said that time, holding out an inviting hand.

He'd had a choice, apparently – to accept this invitation, or to turn it down and be raised by that same friend who took him in those first few months after the accident, in less privileged conditions than he was used to, yet forever remember his roots, his early childhood, the happiness that had come with it and the bitter sweetness of remembrance. It was obvious what he'd chosen, seeing where he was now.

Balkov Abbey had not changed in the nine or ten years he'd spent there, except for a change in management at one point – Balkov had apparently been re-assigned to another training facility further west, and had been replaced by a man the trainees knew as Yevgeny, who had blue-black hair and younger features but wore Balkov's hard and often eerie smile. The change had been easily forgotten, for it did not merit a change in the abbey's operations.

The young blader stopped short, blinking, slightly appalled at having allowed his thoughts to distract him from what he was supposed to be doing. Red-brown orbs narrowed, and he brushed several strands of loose, blue hair from his face. It didn't matter, he thought; he was standing right in front of the room he'd been summoned to.

His face twitching with what could pass for vague annoyance, the young blader wondered why he'd been told to come here, to this specific room. He'd had to visit it only once before, when he was eight, and that had been to informed of his transfer to the advanced section, having shown great aptitude for the sport and more than a passing interest in the harder training exercises – effects, he felt, of the early introduction he had to the sport that was Beyblading, courtesy of his parents.

"How long has it been since 07144 was summoned?" Yevgeny was undoubtedly inside, for that was his voice. Also, it was only he – and Balkov before him – who used the trainees' registration numbers to refer to them when conversing with his colleagues. The blue-haired teen personally detested their numeral designations; they made him feel like some kind of robot or a factory production.

_Well, what are you waiting for, Hiwatari,_ he chided himself, tooling his face into his usual emotionless mask, one hand on the door. He pushed it open and was about to speak, when the large computer monitor – it took up easily half the opposite wall – caught his eye. Rather, it was what was displayed on the monitor that called his attention. Eyes widened as he lost the tight rein he so often kept on his emotions, the information before him rooting itself to his mind like a parasite.

_No_…

* * *

"Hey, Kai, you all right?"

Maroon eyes blinked open, and Kai Hiwatari frowned in slight protest at the sudden invasion of light, and the fact that his teammates were all looking at him over the tops of their seats. _Dammit, I must've fallen asleep_, he thought, a corner of his lips turning down distastefully at the thought of being caught slumbering. "I'm fine, Kinomiya," he replied, his voice a quiet monotone as he looked his cap-wearing teammate in the eye.

"Y'sure?" the wielder of Dragoon – slightly rambunctious, chatty, and easily excitable Tyson Kinomiya – persisted, concern showing on his pleasantly rounded, open face. He and the others – optimistic and sunny Max Mizuhara, quiet but amiable Rei Kon, and the slightly geeky but reliable Kyouju – had been friends and teammates with the phoenix blader for nearly four years now; he knew as well as they did that when Kai spoke like that, it was best to leave him alone. Yet Tyson could not, out of force of habit, leave something like what he'd just heard hanging. He had to know. "You were frowning real hard, and when you said 'no', just before you woke up, an' you went kinda pale."

The slate-haired teen sighed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes heavenward. "I said, I'm _fine_," he stated, crossing his arms over his chest and looking out the window.

Tyson pouted, then turned back round in his seat, refusing to look anywhere else but straight ahead. "…whatever, Kai." He knew when to stop pushing, when to leave his quiet teammate to his thoughts. Besides, even if he _had_ persisted, it was most likely that he wouldn't get another word from the serious teen; the indicators had all been there – crossed arms, blank expression, the refusal to make eye contact. He, Tyson, should have been used to this by now, but he was still miffed when Kai did it.

The regional championships for that year were still far off, but the group had been invited to attend the opening of a new Beyblade training facility and battle dome in Kyoto. Team BBA had been told the opening wasn't until a week later, so Kai opted to take the night bus. Rei, however, had been against their captain's sentiment and suggested the train, which would take less than three hours from Tokyo Station, adding that though he came often to Japan, he had not yet seen much old capital, with its many ancient buildings and temples, regarded as world heritage sites; the other three had agreed with the raven-haired neko-jin, and Kai acquiesced.

It had taken two days to sort everything out – a talk with the parent or guardian, replying to the chairman's invitation, and booking rooms at the Miyako Hotel. Afterwards, however, it hadn't been that hard to get going; save for Rei, they all had Japan Railway passes, so it had been just a matter of getting their Chinese teammate one and they were on their way. Max had spotted a car that was less crowded than the others on that particular run, and they could sit near one another.

Now Kai was wishing they'd taken an earlier run, or wished that _he'd_ done so, at least. If he was going to have dreams – dreams he couldn't remember just moments after he'd had them, dreams that made him mutter in his sleep like Tyson had said he had - he'd much rather go it alone and wait for the rest of the team to catch up at the hotel. But he hadn't, and there was no helping the current situation.

Outside, the scenery passed by as though through a high-speed slide projector. Verdant fields and bluish-gray mountains, all glimpsed in less than a second. That was the problem with Japan, the two-toned-haired teen thought. Everyone was constantly in a rush, so nature's canvas – the contrast and mirroring of sky and water, majestic snow-capped peaks, fields of crops and grass and wildflowers – went almost unnoticed, save by those who chose to take the scenic route.

Slate eyebrows knitted in mild concentration, Kai thought back, trying to remember what his dream had been about. He could remember cold stone and ominous echoing footsteps, and a large metal door with a sign above it, but that was it.

The pale teen gave an inaudible sigh, nonplussed at not being able to remember what it was about the dream that had caused him to react in the manner Tyson had described. And he resigned himself to not knowing, thinking that perhaps later, it would come back to him.


	2. Chapter 01: A Fleeting Glimpse

**Chapter 1: A Fleeting Glimpse**

There were three quick raps on the door, and Kai glanced up from his book as the lock clicked and the wooden panel creaked open. "Kai?" Rei peeked in, amber eyes seemingly darker in the hotel's bad fluorescent lighting. The five teens had checked in at the Miyako by late afternoon, and then, by mutual agreement, gone to their rooms to unpack and rest before heading out for dinner and perhaps a short trip to one of the gardens – there were several, it seemed, that were best viewed at night, due to the lamps and other such decor included in the landscaping.

Kai and Rei shared a room; Tyson, Max, and the Chief – another name they called the shorter member of their party – were in another across the hall. The room arrangements were becoming customary, it seemed. Kai had spent the last hour or so reading, while Rei had gone out after unpacking the few sets of clothes he'd brought. To where, the dark-eyed teen didn't know, but it had afforded him some alone time, for which he was glad.

"Oh, good," the neko-jin was saying as he closed the door, a small grin on his face. "I was afraid you were asleep and that I'd disturbed you."

"Hn." Not really much of a reply, but then his teammates were used to his gruff, oft-irritatingly short responses. Kai marked his place and set the book down on the table, getting up from the beige armchair as he did so. The room held simple furnishings - off-white walls and powder blue curtains, two armchairs, a simple bureau and two beds. The sheets of these were pristine white, and between them was a severe-looking pinewood table, on which rested a plain black phone, the white numbers and letters on the number pad stark against the dark base.

Rei crossed to the bureau and took out a dark blue denim jacket. "It's getting cold out," he went on, with a sideways glance at his captain. "And I don't think your scarf will be enough to keep the chill out. "

The phoenix blader shook his head, allowing a small smirk to cross his features even as he went to his own bag – which remained unpacked – and pulled out a short black coat. "Tyson begging to be fed yet?" he inquired, a hint of laughter in his tone. His teammate would not have been outside the hotel if he hadn't been dragged out earlier, and that usually meant one thing.

Rei let out a chuckle, a bit surprised yet amused at the same time at how quickly Kai had guessed his reason for returning to the room. "Yeah; he's been going on about it for the past ten minutes. In fact, they're already outside."

"I thought so…"

The coat was donned quickly, and after a last-minute check to see if all was in order, the two left, the low rumble of quiet conversation following in their wake.

* * *

"Hurry up, Tyson; wouldn't want to get left behind, would you?" For what seemed the hundredth time, Rei had stopped to turn and check on his slightly shorter, red jacketed friend, who lagged behind the group every so often.

Once more, Tyson was dawdling along, gazing with undisguised awe at all the beautifully-preserved feudal-era buildings – palaces, pavilions, temples and their ilk were to be seen at practically every turn. Though the blue-haired teen was not given to such fields of study as those connected with these examples of old architecture, he was still swept away when presented with them. To think all this had survived the war-!

"Tyson…?" Rei prompted once more, risking falling behind himself; already Kai and the others were about to round the corner up ahead.

"Sure, Rei, I'm comin'…" the dragon blader replied, smiling broadly and stepping up his pace. "Sorry 'bout that," he went on, falling in step with the feline-like teen. "Just never knew how… I dunno, but it's not the same as just looking at 'em in pictures, y'know?"

The former White Tiger member laughed, canines catching the light from passing lampposts and glinting, a hint at the normally calm teen's more passionate and aggressive side. "Yeah, well, I'm the tourist here, but you definitely look the part," he said teasingly, grinning now.

The two rounded the corner then, and as one glanced up to search for their companions. Wide steel blue eyes caught barely fluttering white fabric, a black jacket, and dark hair on the other side of the street; Tyson reacted quickly. "Over there," he said, pointing in the direction of the scarf. The two bladers quickened their steps, hoping to catch up with their captain who, in a rare – and surprisingly obvious – display of concern had elected to wait for them while Max and Kyouju went ahead to the hotel.

They'd barely crossed the street when the figure moved already, and Tyson and Rei had to take to ducking and weaving amongst passers-by in order to keep up. "Man, he's quick!" Tyson muttered at one point, barely avoiding a pole that had, to him, just risen out of the pavement as soon as he squeezed past a group of mall-goers. Strange, since usually by this time, they'd have been able to catch up to the phoenix blader. Just ahead, Rei said nothing, long white-wrapped ponytail trailing behind him as he moved, catlike, through wave after wave of people.

Both teens soon stopped – Tyson being slightly out of breath – in front of their hotel. The dark-clad figure had gone inside, without so much as a backward comment on their inability to completely catch up, something that didn't go unnoticed by either party. "O-kay…" the younger of the two looked somewhat confused and glad that there had been no biting comment from his captain. "…in a hurry to get inside?" In all the years he'd known him, Kai being in a hurry to get away from less than warm weather had seemed an impossible thing.

Rei said nothing, shrugged, and led the way inside. The two-toned-haired Kai was nowhere in sight, and so the two approached the front desk to inquire about their room keys. After being told that their companions had gotten them and had already gone up, they headed for the elevators. There was a companionable silence as the elevator car went up, each lost in his own thoughts. The raven-haired blader, for one, wondered at his teammate's strange behavior, and after a while chalked it up to Kai's unpredictability.

_Right, you're one to talk, Kon_… he thought, grinning inwardly. Of the four team members – five if one counted Kyouju, who was more of a team mechanic – he and Kai were the most variable, in and out of the stadium, in their own way. True, there were constants, but more often than not, either one or the other managed to surprise their friends with an unexpected act of some kind. Perhaps it was this similar duality that had led to the pair's understanding of each other, or so Rei thought at that moment.

"Hey, Rei! Didja hear what I said?"

The neko-jin blinked, vaguely aware that he'd allowed his thoughts to distract him. "Huh? I'm sorry, Tyson; I didn't catch that." He gave an apologetic smile, which the dragon blader returned with an excited grin.

"I asked where you wanted to go first tomorrow, since we still have four days before the opening ceremony stuff starts. I'm sure Max and Chief would wanna know, too, so we all have an idea of who wants to see what." Tyson himself had been in Kyoto twice before, but he had been only around four the first time, and the next 'trip' had been just a stopover, with barely any time to see the sights. He thought it forgivable, then, that he was acting like a school kid on his first field trip – which wasn't a very far-fetched notion, seeing as he was only in his second year of junior high.

His companion looked thoughtful for a few moments, until he finally replied, "Well…I was thinking about seeing the temples here, like the Rokuon-ji." Tyson was about to respond to _that_ when a pinging sound interrupted the relative silence of the elevator. The doors slid open with a faint 'whoosh', and the two stepped out, and then began the walk down the hall towards their respective rooms. It was only when they were about to reach the rooms that Rei remembered the steel blue-eyed teen had been about to say something. "I'm sorry, Tyson, you wanted to say something?" he prompted, stopping somewhere in the middle between the door to his and Kai's room and that of Tyson and Company.

The younger teen shook his head, still smiling. "It's nothing, Rei; I was just gonna say I'd tell the Chief that. You know how he likes things coordinated; I imagine he'll be looking up numbers for those places that need entrance fees or something, like museums. Get the time they open and such."

"Heh, yeah." Rei grinned, too. Young as he was, Kyouju was certainly well-versed in setting things up, getting things organized. He never went anywhere without his laptop, and frankly, the Chinese teen couldn't imagine his russet-haired friend not having it; he, too, had gotten used to seeing the slim, dark metallic gray form on Kyouju's person. It was a bit hard to imagine, like Max without his ready smile, or Tyson without his blue and red baseball cap.

"Anyway, see ya at breakfast tomorrow, Rei." Tyson was saying, already about to disappear into his hotel room. The neko-jin merely nodded in reply, then turned to knock.

Perhaps it was a good thing he always checked where he was knocking first, for if he hadn't, he'd have tapped a certain slate-haired teen somewhere on the face. It would have been an accident, of course, but Rei had no desire to find out how Kai would react to being treated like a door. He blinked hard at having been thus surprised, to which Suzaku's partner responded with a slightly-raised eyebrow.

"I could hear Kinomiya from in there," Kai said, by way of an explanation for having answered a non-existent knock. "You and the chatterbox get lost?" Here, a hint of amusement dancing in the dark orbs framed by soft blue-gray even as he stepped back to let the neko-jin pass.

Rei shook his head, not bothered by his roommate's implication at him or Tyson having a bad sense of direction. "Nah," he replied, crossing to the bureau and opening the drawer where he'd stashed his towel. "How could we when you waited for us and led us back here?"

The long, uncomfortable silence that followed was enough to make the tiger glance over his shoulder at his captain, who wore an expression of slight disbelief mixed with puzzlement. "You… _were_ the one who led us back here, weren't you?"

It was Kai's turn to shake his head, briefly, as he settled himself in one of the armchairs as it was the closest. "I've no idea what you're talking about, Rei," he said at last, gazing evenly at his teammate. "When Max realized that you and Tyson had 'disappeared', I said that going back to hunt for you both would only cause confusion and perhaps someone else would get lost..."

The dark-haired teen knew Kai was telling the truth – it seemed so, the way the reddish gaze held his own, unwavering. But then, one could never really be certain when it came to the phoenix blader; so strong was the grip he had on his emotions that they rarely showed fully on his face. Rei frowned then. If Kai had been here all this time…

"…then who was that?" he wondered aloud, taking in the fact that Kai was already in shorts and a plain white shirt, and his hair was slightly damp. Meaning he'd been in the shower. Seeing as it had been less than ten minutes since the three of them had entered the building, by his estimate, at least. The slate-haired teen could not have showered and dressed _that_ fast, with his two teammates practically at his heels.

"Out with it, Rei," the low, even tenor cut through the Chinese teen's thoughts, and he glanced up, not a little bewildered. "Just what did you and Tyson see, coming back here?"

* * *

"…and he entered this hotel?" Kyouju finished, looking up from his laptop. As one, Rei and Tyson nodded assent, and the shorter teen took his glasses off, polished them. "It doesn't make any sense," he said, finally, leaving the glasses on the table in front of him. "Kai was with us the whole time, until we went to the rooms, of course." The other four teens were silent; somehow the re-telling was more discomfiting the second time around for Rei, who had told his captain what had transpired the night before.

"Are you sure this person _looked_ like Kai?" Max ventured, leaning forward to take hold of his cup of hot chocolate, although he didn't move to take a sip. His ever-present smile seemed watered down by his somber blue eyes; he, too, was slightly disturbed at his friends' story.

With Max's question, however, it dawned on Rei – probably Tyson as well, the neko-jin thought, seeing his friend frown slightly in concentration – that neither had actually _seen_ the person they were following. The build certainly seemed similar, as had the gait and dress. But those had been glimpses, fleeting images caught in and among the rapidly moving crowd that had filled Kyoto's sidewalks.

At last, Tyson opened his mouth to speak. "W-ell….not really," he replied, his voice modulated for once. "We, err…_thought_ we saw his hair, or jacket, or scarf -"

"- but we never really _saw_ Kai." Rei finished, fighting the heat that crept up his neck. How could he not have realized this before? Normally, he was as observant as the slate-haired teen who sat across from him; no detail was too small to escape his notice, and – it had to be said – he never mistook someone for another. His companions knew this as well, but if they thought it strange, no one said anything.

The Chief, prudent as always, shut his laptop off and closed it with a barely-audible _click_. "Well, whoever that was, we might run into him at some point. According to what the Chairman told me via email, this hotel was commissioned for the convenience of those attending the opening of the new battle dome. So that means those staying here are connected with the BBA in some way."

That certainly helped ease the tension a bit. Tyson, for one, had been entertaining thoughts of a doppelganger or an evil twin-like situation involving his captain. Ridiculous, maybe, but it was the first thing that had popped into his head. Beside him, Max finished off his hot chocolate in one long gulp and set the cup back down, expression bright once more, as opposed to his seriousness around five minutes earlier.

"So, Chief," the blond said after a while, trying to turn the conversation away from this mysterious person who apparently resembled Kai at least partially – probably a Beyblader, like most of the group was. "Where are we going first, now that Tyson's _finally_ done with breakfast?"

There was light laughter at that, and the teen in question made a big show of pelting his teammate with bits of wadded-up tissue. Barring Kai, Kyouju was the first one to stop laughing, taking out a sheet of paper filled with his neat script. "Well, one thing everyone wanted to see was the temples, so I thought we'd start with those. Afterwards, if no one objects, we can see the Nijo Castle, since it's in the same general area as most of the temples, though it involves a bit of a walk." There were nods all around; the schedule was acceptable, so far, and this was signal for the bespectacled teen to go on. "We could split up after that, and then meet up at the Rokuon-ji at around 2 o'clock and head off for a late lunch."

"Sounds good to me," Rei said, grinning. While his teammates _were_ a fun group, there were times when the Chinese was more inclined to go around alone; he indulged in moments of reflection and meditation from time to time, a part of his upbringing he couldn't let go of. He would definitely break off from the group after seeing the palace, not so much to meditate as to merely take a break from the constant chatter that was a given for Team BBA; he was sure a certain dark-clad teen would do the same, as it happened all too often. "That gives us…" golden eyes flickered to the great round clock that hung over the door into the dining hall. "Roughly five hours, if we start out now." So saying, Rei got up, his ponytail swaying slightly with the movement. The others stood up, too – Tyson and Max doing so with much scraping of chairs – and headed out the door.

* * *

_They're late_.

Maroon eyes surveyed his surroundings – a cobbled pathway, the tranquil pond, the garden on the other side that was part and parcel of the Rokuon-ji grounds. There was no impatience, no irritation in those eyes, just acceptance of what had come to be fact, should one find oneself in the same company.

It was now half past two, thirty minutes beyond the agreed-upon meeting time. And Kai had been there since ten minutes to the hour. There had not been much else to see after the 'tour' to various temples and the palace, but even this had been mere recollection of what he'd already seen as a child. His parents had taken him there thrice before; he remembered things quite easily, and the fact that he'd been with his parents on those trips only served to make the memories of such outings that much more vivid.

After seeing the Imperial Palace, with some obligatory photos courtesy of Kyouju's camera attachment on his trusty laptop, the three younger teens had run off towards one of the museums, and Rei had gone off on his own just as Kai had. The slate-haired teen had wandered around the business sector of Kyoto, noting with passing interest the newly-opened shops – most were hobby and bookstores – and their location and proximity relative to the Miyako Hotel. It was not a secret that Kai enjoyed the occasional good book, but he didn't indulge in this pastime as often; literature that passed his standards were hard to find these days, so he resigned himself to re-reading those that were already in his collection. One bookstore, specializing in old books from the sign that hung in one window, caught his eye, however, and the phoenix blader had made a note to check it out later, perhaps after dinner. Perhaps he'd be lucky enough to find one on myths - preferably those he didn't already know.

He came back to the present, head tilting up slightly as though to see the phoenix statue that adorned the roof of the temple. He knew it was there, without really needing to see it. He remembered his first view of it had been in winter, the golden effigy standing proud and majestic, miraculously untouched by the sky's frozen white tears. It looked nothing like Suzaku, and yet it made Kai feel less on edge, staying where he was, under supposed protection stemming from that golden statue above, hidden from his sight yet there nonetheless.

"Are you...waiting for someone?"

Kai frowned slightly as he glanced sideways at the speaker – a dark-haired girl, around his age, with deep purple eyes – who had approached and spoken so familiarly to him. He made a low grunt then turned away, not in the mood to actually reply. The breeze picked up then, and he closed his eyes and allowed it to wash over him; as a result, less than a minute later, he felt rather than saw the other teen move away when he said nothing more, and was glad of that action on her part.

Suddenly, though, there was the _click-whirr_ sound of a camera and a momentary flash, which caused the slate-haired teen to jerk his head the direction of the sound – a striking contrast to his usual calm and measured reactions, to be sure. That same girl stood not more than three meters away, a black-and-silver camera in hand, looking slightly apologetic if anything. She came over, before Kai could so much as move, and bent forward at the waist a little, a less formal bow of apology typical of most teens.

"Sorry for earlier, someone sent me a message to come here at this time, and I thought it was you. And... I apologize for taking your picture without telling you," she said, without looking at him. "I was afraid that if I did, it would have spoiled the casual tone of the scene." Here, the amethyst-eyed girl gestured vaguely about them, and it was then that Kai spotted the black backpack slung over one shoulder, the corner of a sketchpad protruding from the opening.

_An aspiring artist or comics illustrator,_ he thought dismissively, deciding to pay this one intrusion of his privacy no mind. He'd seen others like this girl often enough, snapping away at scenery and people in order to amass reference photos. He inclined his head a bit, acknowledging her second bow – of apology or leave, or both, he didn't know – and listened for the sound of fading footsteps as she walked away. But there _were _no footsteps, he realized – and it was only then that Kai realized, too, that he had been listening for them; there was nothing to alert him of the girl leaving, save the gut sensation that he was alone again. For the third time, he glanced to the side, spotting a swath of dark hair quite some distance away by then, almost at the bridge that spanned the pond, framed by the foliage that moved and danced with the breeze.

So she was into martial arts as well, it seemed, or a gymnast, two sports the slate-haired teen knew required one to be light on one's feet. As far as Kai knew, even with the heaviest footwear on, most of those who engaged in these sports somehow managed to approach or leave quickly and silently.

A few more minutes passed, then, he turned slightly, a smirk on his face. "Took you long enough," he said, having found find his teammates frozen in their tracks. While he hadn't heard the girl move away, he _had_ heard Tyson's dull footsteps on the cobblestones – they'd taken the other path to the temple itself, apparently – and Kyouju's faint wheezing as he tried to keep up with his more athletically-inclined friends.

"Man, Kai, you _have_ to stop doing that!" Tyson blurted, being the first to recover from his surprise. Granted, he should have been used to that then, as his captain had the tendency to repeat the act every so often; he wasn't, though, as he was _still _caught off-guard when it happened. Rei, however, laughed easily, a throaty rumble that sounded like a human purr. Max laughed, too, eyes lit with mirth when he saw the dragon blader's somewhat put-off expression at having been brought up short in trying to surprise the stoic teen before them. He knew sneaking up on Kai was a futile game of sorts, for there was always something that would give them away. Still he joined Tyson in it, secretly hoping that they _would_ succeed at some point; he didn't mind if he was caught or not.

"Sorry we kept you waiting," the blond cut in, before the midnight blue-haired teen could say anything else. "We got turned around somewhere, getting back here." In truth, Genbu's partner would rather have had Kai waiting, then them waiting for Kai; aside from being able to tell his teammates were sneaking up on him, he was quite capable of sneaking up on _them_. He was somewhat used to that happening, but there was no denying that Max still jumped a little in surprise whenever Kai pulled that stunt.

"...I see."

All was quiet for a few minutes, the five teens reveling in the tranquility of their current surroundings – even Tyson was able to curb his enthusiasm. There was only the muffled camera-like sound of Kyouju taking pictures. They had merely passed the Rokuon-ji earlier during their 'tour', so the bespectacled mechanic took advantage of the lack of crowds to get good shots.

Someone passed behind them just then, brushing against Max accidentally, causing the blond to stumble sideways a bit. A hand caught his arm firmly, and there was a low uttered apology, and then the hand was gone. Max turned, in order to properly thank the person for 'catching' him. But the person had disappeared from sight

Save for the glimpse of cobalt hair and dark shirt and pants. The blue-eyed teen blinked hard, unsure of what he'd seen.

"Hey, you okay, bud?" Tyson had noticed Max's distracted look, laid a hand on his shoulder as though to make sure his friend didn't topple over for one reason or another.

"Y-yeah, Ty, I'm fine," the cerulean-eyed teen answered, still not taking his eyes off the corner of the temple building around which that cobalt-haired someone had disappeared. "I just thought I saw something – err, someone." Here he gestured towards the spot he'd been looking at, and everyone – including Kai – followed his gaze. Of course, no one was standing there anymore; Max thought he should be surprised if there _had_ been.

He wondered, vaguely, if he should mention what exactly he'd seen. Rei and Tyson had already encountered someone with similar features – if one could call chasing after said person an 'encounter'. Had he really seen what he thought he saw? Or had it been his mind playing tricks on him? Either way, Max said nothing more about it, and slowly, his friends turned their attention away from him and back towards the immaculately-kept temple grounds.

* * *

_'Experiment 07144_… _developed in laboratory… DNA sample from 02562 and 02602…'_

_ This wasn't real – couldn't be. Red-brown eyes skimmed the monitor again, frantic, taking in the information once more, checking, searching for something, anything, to disprove it. _

_ There were none. _

_ "Ah, my star trainee," Yevgeny said, crossing the room, taking strong, determined steps towards him. The teen stepped back in reflex, one hand already at the switchblade in his pocket. "I suppose this comes as quite a sur – ahh!" _

_ He'd lashed out with his knife hand, somewhat proud of the sound of metal on flesh, the sudden coppery tang of blood. Then he whirled back, past the great swinging doors, mindful of where he passed. He'd injured Yevgeny; the guards would be after him, he was sure. And he had seen something… unhinging. Something that made him, for the first time in years, want to leave that place he'd come to regard as his second home. _

_ He needed to get away. Needed to find out for himself that what he'd seen was all just a big joke. _

_ But what if it wasn't?_

* * *

Kai sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. He glanced surreptitiously at the sleeping tiger, silently thankful that he hadn't woken. It would have been difficult to convince Rei that he was all right. The maroon-eyed teen couldn't even recall most of what he'd dreamt – just like on the train ride the day before.

He slipped out of bed and changed into more suitable walking clothes – suitable, at least, for walking around a hotel. He wanted to recall – and as soon as possible – the nature of these dreams he'd been having lately.

The sensations were familiar; he'd reacted the same way when they were in Russia, that first year as a team. And what he _could_ remember of the dreams now were stone corridors and the constant sound of Beybattles. Had there been something else in Balkov Abbey – and effectively Biovolt – that he'd come across before but had forgotten? After what happened with Kuro Suzaku, it wasn't an improbability; Kai wasn't sure that on that second encounter with the dark bit beast he'd regained _all_ his memories as regards his childhood in the abbey.

He closed the door behind him as soundlessly as possible, then padded down the corridor towards the stairwell. A floor map displayed in the lobby, and then at every floor, told the phoenix blader that there was a way to the roof; that was where he'd go.

Eventually, Kai gained the rooftop, and was standing at one of the railings, hair and scarf fluttering in the night breeze. He took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling calmer. The sky was a sort of cool brown mixed with gray, with a few stars. It would rain, either later that night or in the morning. At least it didn't threaten to storm; knowing the weather in Japan and Tyson; the blue-eyed dragon couldn't stand being stuck in one place for more than an hour, two hours if they were lucky, and storms that blew in at nighttime tended to break towards morning and last until noon. Better for it to rain during the night, in any case.

The minutes ticked by, and Kai was growing a bit frustrated; apart from what he recalled easily, nothing else came to mind, nothing came to light from those dreams of his. He exhaled heavily – he hadn't realized he'd been holding his breath for a while – out of irritation at this seeming incapability to delve his own mind, if only to try and make sense of what he'd been dreaming of.

It was only then that the slate-haired teen grew aware of another person on the roof. He couldn't care less; he'd had enough of endless skies and winking stars for the night, so he turned on his heel, heading for the stairwell through which he'd gained access, noting briefly the similarly dark-clad form, cobalt hair –

_Wait._ Kai stopped short, just inside the stairwell. That was the description Rei and Tyson had given when asked who they'd seen guiding them back to the hotel the night before. _Was_ there a clone of him walking around? But no, that was impossible. For one thing, the slate bangs were missing; that much he could tell from a glance. But that shade of blue, just a tinge lighter than his own… and the way it was swept back and slightly to one side.

He shook his head. Now _he_ was being unreasonable, paranoid. It was rubbing off on him, the thought that there was someone out there who looked like him. More likely this person merely resembled him in some aspects, he thought, a little pleased at rational thought returning.

Kai made his way down, counting off every second landing until he came to that on the sixth floor, whereupon he pushed the off-white "emergency exit" door open. All was silent, no indicators that his teammates had woken and were now searching for him – a very small chance of that happening, since they were all used to him going off by himself every now and again.

He allowed a small wry smile to curve his lips as he thought how they were all dependable that way, in their predictability, striding through the corridor until he came to his and Rei's room and went inside, once more careful not to make a noise lest he wake his friend. It _was_ late, and he'd need ample rest in order to deal with his teammates' antics tomorrow. Thinking of dreams and partial 'clones' wasn't going to help matters.

"Couldn't sleep?" Rei's quietly inquisitive voice shattered the silence of the room as startlingly as if he'd shouted, and Kai paused, his shirt already half off. He'd had to change into more comfortable clothes, and was in the process of doing so. The slate-haired teen gave him a sidelong glance and replied with a curt "Yeah," before discarding the tank top and shrugging on a loose cotton shirt.

Seeing his captain act like this, Rei's first instinct was to ask if anything was wrong. He shoved that to the back of his mind, however, knowing full well it wouldn't get him anywhere. Instead, he turned onto his other side, facing away from Kai's bed lest he be tempted to ask anyway. He feigned disinterest, calling out a low but cheery "Well, good night!" as he did so. A few minutes later, his sharp ears caught the scrape of sheets being drawn back and the _flump_ of the pillow as the phoenix lay down, and Rei willed himself to breathe slowly and deeply, in the manner of one who'd given up to slumber. He was concerned, however; once before Kai had acted in this same manner, and that had been before he'd turned traitor. Was this a repeat performance? Rei hoped not.

_Kai… what aren't you telling us_?


	3. Chapter 02: First Meeting

_A/N: This is the chapter I never got around to putting up before. ^^; And this is probably the chapter with the most changes in it since I typed it up. _

_For those who know me on deviantArt, I believe you know who's appearing in this chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 2: First Meeting**

A final cut, and two sides of a large, red satin ribbon fell away; the applause began then, sounding very much like waves thundering on the seashore. Tyson, a large, dangerous-looking pair of scissors in his hand, turned to face the crowd and wave, grinning widely. Behind him and to the left stood his friends, also smiling – even Kai, although he was more subdued in doing so. They had all been looking forward to the opening of this BBA facility and were, of course, happy to participate in the events. Even so, it had been quite a surprise for them when Chairman Daitenji asked _Tyson_ to perform the quintessential ribbon-cutting for the ceremony, rather than do it himself. That was only temporary, however, as the dragon blader's penchant for attention took control and he enthusiastically agreed – to the point of almost tripping on his way to the front.

The microphone screeched for a moment when it passed too close to one of the amplifiers, and as one the crowd cringed; it had seemed louder for the clapping had died down. The bald chairman smiled apologetically for a moment, then spoke. "Thank you, once again, for coming here today, everyone. I know the construction of this new training center and battle dome has long been forthcoming, and it's taken quite a while before it was complete…"

Tyson had rejoined his companions towards the rear of the outside platform soon after cutting the ribbon, and, as usual, tuned the chairman's words out. "Does he have to make these speeches all the time?" he asked, sounding more bored than irritated. Max laughed at this comment, the sound of it reminiscent of a happily bubbling stream.

"C'mon, Ty, have you known the Chairman _not_ to make a speech?" he replied, trying to appear interested as he turned to look at the jovial, mustached and balding old man in the suit - their sponsor for the three years the team had been in the world championships. "It's part of the… ceremony, I guess, even if it's supposed to be just a short one."

"Guess so." The steel blue-eyed teen followed Max, fixing his gaze on Daitenji and nodding appreciatively, even though he hadn't gotten much of the last few sentences; the applause had started up again, somewhat louder than earlier. Tyson looked closer at the faces he could see, towards the front. "Hey, what's with them?" He whispered, gesturing to the audience in general. "Why do they look so excited?"

Max blinked. True enough, the faces there were alight with expectation, and some had started talking amongst themselves.

"Max, Tyson, go!" Rei hissed loudly, startling both teens. As one, they turned, looking quizzical, to see Kyouju motioning with his hands towards the stairs at the end of the platform and the Chinese blader with a look hovering between amusement and exasperation.

"What's going on?" The blond asked, whispering back.

"We're supposed to go in, guys!" the Chief said, in as loud a whisper as his voice would permit. "There's going to be a series of exhibition matches for the veteran BBA trainees, and then afterwards one of you is going to battle one of them."

"Cool!" Tyson's face now mimicked those in the audience; he needed no further urging, and so hurried to the other end and down the steps, with the rest of Team BBA following in his wake and trying, for the most part, to look more dignified than he felt.

There was no denying, however, that all five were anticipating the exhibition matches; each delighted, to some extent, in the enjoyment these trainees obviously derived from the sport. Tyson had tried putting together his own Beyblade training camp the year before, and though it had lasted less than a week, he'd still enjoyed it, teaching kids the basics, giving them tips on how to improve, and other such matters one taught to trainees. They had shown promise, his 'students', but still had a long way to go.

On the other hand, _these_ trainees were from the BBA, some handpicked from the draggle of daily visitors to the various facilities for their interest in this sport of spinning tops, all reaching their current ranks through sheer determination and merit, in the hopes of someday putting together as successful a team as that which had brought Japan the World Championship title for three years straight. And, though he'd advanced in age since he'd first set foot in the world of Beyblading, the midnight-blue-haired teen had to face it: he was still easily excited at the prospect of a heated match, bit beast or no.

The five teens were led to something of a sponsors' box; there weren't any walls separating the fifteen seats, but they were an off-white color and had armrests, as compared to the usual powder blue bleachers. They had a good view of the commentator's stand and stadium in the center, and weren't as far away if they had been seated elsewhere. "Front row seats! Awesome!" Tyson exclaimed, plunking himself down in the middle of the five seats, with Kyouju and then Max to his left.

At the dragon blader's remark, Rei and Kai exchanged glances that clearly said "You'd think he's never sat in front before," and then both sat down themselves, on Tyson's right. The dual-haired phoenix blader took care to seat himself at the farthest end, with Rei between himself and their loud teammate.

The bleachers were filled in minutes, practically abuzz with excitement. It wasn't every day the BBA included something akin to a tournament in opening ceremonies for facilities like this, so such reactions were to be somewhat expected.

Max was eyeing the competitors' bench – even though it looked more like a raised baseball dugout - on the level with the stadium. As far as the blond could tell, both were still empty; none of the exhibition bladers had entered. "How many matches do you think there'll be?" he ventured, craning his neck to glance at what was supposed to be one of the entrances to the floor below.

"I can't say for sure," Chief said slowly, getting up a bit in order to see what Genbu's partner was looking at. "The chairman didn't really say, and there was nothing in the program about exhibition matches." Earlier on, Team BBA and the mechanic had been handed stiff leaflets, with something of a schedule for the ceremonies that day; it was these Kyouju referred to. "We'll see soon, though. I think."

"They can't keep the crowd waiting for long, can they?" Tyson added, his eyes trained on Blader DJ and a few other BBA personnel setting something up near the dish. He couldn't see much of it, though, and quickly lost interest, following Max and Kyouju's gaze to watch the 'competitors' come out – if indeed they would use that entrance.

For his part, Kai let his eyes wander, taking in everything without lingering. And as alert as he was to his surroundings, part his mind went back to the night before, what he'd seen. When Rei, and then Tyson had first told of the person they'd seen, the slate-haired blader hadn't quite believed them; in fact, he was ready to disregard their account, whether they corroborated each other or not. But to have seen practically the same thing a day later made him re-think that.

The lights dimmed just then, a spotlight focused on the stadium in the center, with Blader DJ in his trademark 'uniform' and bandanna.

"Hey, all right! They're starting!"

"Tyson, be quiet," Rei admonished, giving his junior a firm look. "The way you're shouting, you could be Blader DJ's assistant or something; people will be looking this way instead of at the bladers in the center." Here he gestured towards the bladers' entrance the three younger members of Team BBA had been looking at earlier, and Tyson saw that several teens his age or a little younger were in fact already making their way towards the stadium. Steel blue eyes shone with excitement, but the dragon blader held his tongue.

The neko-jin smiled at this and leaned back, watching the unfolding scene with mild interest. Save for a scant few who looked as though they were already in an actual tournament – this was, after all, just going to be a series of exhibition matches – the BBA trainees didn't strike him in any particular way. Of those who looked tournament-ready, there was one in particular that caught his eye.

She stood at the end of the line, her gaze fixed on the dish before her and her companions, a hand on her hip. What he managed to see of her expression seemed to mirror his own – interested, but not to the point of eager anticipation. A pendant at her throat glinted, faintly silver, as did the buckles on her short leather jacket and the chain she wore hanging from her belt. She wore dark pants instead of a skirt, as female bladers seemed wont to do, and these were tucked in black combat boots.

"…so without further ado, ladies and gents, the exhibition matches begin!"

Rei blinked, coming back to himself. He'd missed whatever announcement there had been, having been engrossed in watching the dark-haired female, even though she'd just stood there the entire time. The first match was about to start; the trainees had split into two groups, and most were now making their way to the competitors' bench on either side. Without meaning to, Rei found himself watching the girl again, as she moved towards the bench with her fellows; there was an air about her that drew one's attention. Citrine eyes narrowed in thought. This wasn't the first time he'd encountered a person exuding such an aura - one of them being his own team captain.

He turned to the teen in question – Tyson, Max, and Kyouju were all leaning forwards in their seats, eager for the match – and was quite surprised to find the phoenix's gaze fixed on that same blader. Kai looked a bit pensive, however, and the Chinese wondered at what could have brought this about.

At length, Rei directed his attention towards the stadium once more, even though he'd been more of the mind to ask Kai if anything was wrong. Besides, given that they were supposed to be watching the exhibition matches, perhaps it wasn't the best time to ask.

* * *

_So… she's a blader, too_.

When the girl from the Rokuon-ji entered, it had been something of a surprise. Kai hadn't been expecting to see her again – certainly not like this – not to mention that the way she carried herself whilst before a crowd differed a bit, although the crimson-eyed teen could not put his finger on _why _this was so. Just like at the Rokuon-ji, she moved lightly on her feet with that feline grace he recognized now as typical of those with a background in martial arts; Rei – and the members of Baifuzu X – moved in such a fashion.

Perhaps it was her expression? No, it wasn't, not really. At the temple, she'd had a small smile on her face, whereas here she looked merely interested. He couldn't gather much from her gaze aside from that, and that was a bit baffling, on his part. He could read most expressions easily while he himself remained a puzzle. This girl, however… well, perhaps this was how others felt when they looked at _him_ and tried to decipher his emotions.

The phoenix shook his head slightly, to clear his thoughts. He wasn't about to be caught unaware by a question from the younger members in the group, due to contemplation on a fellow blader. That was something best done in the privacy of one's room, if done at all. He focused on the stadium where the first match had already begun.

* * *

"What'd you think of that last match? Cool, huh?" Tyson commented, making no effort to lower his voice – the stands were quite noisy by then, and the midnight-blue-haired teen doubted it would make much of a difference.

"The guy in gray – Tetsuya? – had a good strategy," Rei said slowly, a small grin curving his lips, "but he didn't quite follow through."

"I'd be surprised if he did," Max returned. "Anyone could see he didn't take his blade type into account." There was a bit of laughter at the blond's statement, since not everyone in the audience _would_ see that. Also, it was what they expected from Genbu's partner, who prided himself on defense and strategic play. "Still," he added after a moment's pause, "the way he managed to change direction at the last second and slam the other guy out _was_ unexpected."

"Not to mention that, in all the matches we've seen so far, the blades lasted longer than was common, what with them being trainees and all," Kyouju piped up. As usual, he'd been recording the battles with his laptop and was organizing the data to be analyzed.

"No wonder they were picked for the exhibition, then," Rei said in response to the bespectacled teen's observation. When one started out as a blader, it was hard to get one's blade to keep spinning for more than a minute without losing any of its strength. The teens assembled below had obviously been able to do so. The longest match so far, he reckoned, had been the third, with one of the blades spinning for nearly three minutes.

By this time, Team BBA, save for Kyouju, had turned their attention to the beydish, curiosity piqued because Blader DJ and a BBA employee were working the machine they'd set up earlier. It looked like the ones used in raffle draws combined with a slot machine; there were two chambers, both filled with slips of paper, and both were to be set spinning by the lever at one end. "Whaddaya think they're doin'?" Tyson thought aloud, unconsciously voicing the unspoken question in everyone's minds.

"No clue," was Kai's answer, even though he had a rough idea of what was going on. According to the chairman, for one of the matches, someone from Team BBA would battle one of the trainees. All the BBA trainees had had a match, so was this how the Beybladers for each side would be chosen, by drawing names from a modified lottery machine?

The answer was clear a moment later, when Blader DJ picked up his microphone once more, holding two slips of paper in his other hand. "Well, boys and girls, this is it! The last match of the day!" The bandanna-wearing announcer paused then, for the audience had grown raucous once more. It was already obvious what was going to happen next, given Chairman Daitenji's announcement. "Yes, we all know what's coming… so! Representing Team BBA is… Tyson Kinomiya!"

"Whoo-hoo! Looks like I'm up!" And quite literally, for the dragon blader had leapt up in his seat the second he'd been called. Now he made for the stairs heading down, launcher and Beyblade already in hand.

"…-mura!"

"Who?" Max craned his neck to see, as did Kyouju. The announcement of Tyson's opponent had been lost in the crowd's cheers combined with the cap-wearing blader's whoops of delight – slightly reminiscent of a flame-haired young upstart named Daichi who had returned to his home island after the BEGA Justice Five tournament. With Tyson acting the way he did now, though, it was like the monkey-like blader had fused with him.

It didn't take long for Kai to see it was the girl from the Rokuon-ji. At least he knew her last name now, if nothing else. Tyson was just mounting the stadium platform, but his opponent was already in position, in a stance the slate-haired teen noticed to be similar to his own, when about to start a match. However, the slate-haired teen knew from his own encounters that outward confidence didn't always equal skill.

_Well, kid… _

* * *

"Let's see what you've got!" Tyson shouted across the dish, a grin of anticipation on his face. His dark-haired opponent's only reply was a small smirk – or obliging grin, he couldn't tell which – as both bladers attached their blades to their launchers.

"Remember, folks, this match will consist of only one round," Blader DJ was saying, "So best of luck to both bladers… and 3...2… 1…"

"Go, shoot!"

Two blades – one pale gray, the other jet-black – shot into the dish. Tyson's Dragoon started circling, while its opponent proceeded directly to the center of the dish and stayed there, spinning steadily. Tyson's grin lessened a bit, and he frowned slightly. He'd seen similar opening strategies, most notable of all being Max's own. Having gone against the blond, he was wary about launching an all-out attack on _this_ blader; he _had_ learned something all those years of blading against others, and it just occurred to the steel-blue-eyed teen that he knew nothing of his opponent's style.

"Why so hesitant, Kinomiya-san?"

Tyson's glance shot up from the dish to meet his opponent's – he knew her only by her last name, Hiyomura, as he hadn't caught her first; that had been drowned out by the cheers and applause from the audience. That, and he hadn't been paying too much attention. "Wh-what did you say?"

"You're more of an attacker, aren't you?" the dark-haired girl began, the hand that held her launcher resting on her hip. "So why aren't you attacking? Afraid you'll miss?" The smile on her face was friendly enough, her question put forth out of curiosity; Seiryuu's partner saw, however, that her eyes seemed to be challenging him.

"Afraid? No way!"

With that, the Dragoon blade rushed down the slope, charging its dark opponent, but in the moment both should have collided, Hiyomura's blade had disappeared. _What the-! _Steel blue eyes widened, and then narrowed as he looked back up at the girl on the opposite side of the dish. She was still smiling that strange smile of hers. Tyson didn't know if he was incensed, creeped out, or both.

Up in the stands, the reaction was the same. For Team BBA, at least.

"Whoa!" Max fairly leapt forward when the dark blade disappeared. "Did you guys see that?"

"Yeah…" Rei kept his seat, but was nonetheless surprised. Was this girl really just a trainee, as the chairman had said? All the same, the amber-eyed Chinese's interest was piqued now. He glanced again at the dish just in time to see the girl's Beyblade ram into Tyson's and send it flying.

Tyson's look of incredulity and dismay at the rookie's accomplishment disappeared soon afterwards, however, replaced by a relieved and somewhat cocky grin. Fortunately, his blade landed just inside the rim of the stadium, where it began to circle once more. "Ha! Looks like your so-called one-hit knockout didn't work!"

Across from him, the dark-haired blader's expression hadn't changed; she was still smiling. "Well, it won't be as fun if there were no challenge for either of us. Right, Kinomiya-san?"

He didn't say it aloud, but Tyson knew this teen – 'creepy' smile and infuriatingly calm demeanor or no – was correct. He didn't like engaging in battles that were boring and proved to be a waste of time. The dragon blader couldn't help wondering, though, at just how skilled his opponent was. "Let's see how you like this one. Dragoon! Hyper Tornado!"

The pale gray blade picked up speed, until it seemed that a tornado had sprung from the dish. It began moving, lightning-fast, towards the opposing dark blade. Seeing this, the purple-eyed blader wasted no time. "Gogyou, counter!"

It all happened in an instant. The two blades were on a direct collision course with one another, and then came the impact that nearly knocked both Tyson and his opponent off their feet. There was a clatter of a Beyblade hitting the platform; it seemed that, as a body, the crowd held its breath and leaned forward in their seats to see which one it had been.

Dark charcoal caught the stadium lights, a tangible shadow against the cerulean of the platform both competitors stood on.

The applause began again, this time more like thunder than before. The match had been short, but worth the wait; it wasn't everyday one saw a rookie hold their own against a certified world champion blader as long as this girl had. Tyson, as expected, stood and waved to the crowd, reveling in his victory.

"And that's the end of the exhibition matches! In a stunningly close match, Tyson pulls off a win!" Blader DJ was saying, looking as excited as the audience. "Let's hear it for both of them, folks!"

Tyson waved still, dimly aware of his opponent retrieving her blade. For a moment, he thought he saw a look of contempt on her face. But it was gone as suddenly as it came, so quickly that the jacketed male wasn't sure _what_ he'd seen. When the chairman had told him that a surprise had been planned, he'd had no idea it would be this person – he wasn't even sure if he'd seen even her last name on the list of BBA trainees. If it hadn't been there, he could see why. She certainly didn't handle herself or act like the trainees he'd met and battled before.

"Kinomiya-san."

Tyson turned to see the dark-haired teen not even two feet from him, a small smile on her face and one hand outstretched. _When did she get there? _

"That was a good battle. Looks like I've got a lot to learn, still, if I plan to take on world championship teams."

The steel-blue-eyed blader grinned and shook her hand firmly, suddenly feeling at ease with her. Her demeanor after a Bey-battle was different, and she seemed more amiable – which was a relief for him. "Yeah, it was fun battling you… And you call me Tyson, if you want."

"All right, Tyson…" The girl let go his hand and turned to descend the platform. "I'll see you later."

"Heh. Sure."

It wasn't until Hiyomura had joined her fellow rookies and Tyson himself had gone down from the platform that he realized the implications of the girl's last statement. _"See you later"…? What does she mean?_ Try as he might, the midnight-blue-haired teen couldn't remember if there had been any announcement regarding the participants meeting later that day.

"Tyson!"

Seiryuu's partner looked up to see his teammates coming towards him, Max in the lead, waving happily; around them, the crowd was dispersing as well, going off in little groups – the day's events were over, apparently. "That was awesome!" The blond exclaimed upon reaching his buddy. "For a while there, I didn't think you'd pull it off, but then with your last attack – _wow_!"

Tyson grinned, punching Max playfully on the arm. "You actually doubted I'd win? I'm hurt."

"Well, it was obvious your previous victories were getting to your head again. When that happens, you lose focus and that's when you lose."

"What? Why you-!"

Kyouju laughed, snapping his laptop closed as he'd finished collating the data he'd gotten from that last match; Rei chuckled at the pair's banter; Kai merely smiled, if for a moment. Now that the dark-haired teen had shown herself twice now, in the same places he and his teammates were, the maroon-eyed teen couldn't help wondering if there were something behind these apparently coincidental meetings.

"What say we eat out tonight, instead of at the hotel as planned?" the dragon blader was saying, tucking his blade and launcher back into their holders, which he always carried on his person.

"I'm afraid we can't, Tyson," the bespectacled Chief replied. "Did you forget? Chairman Daitenji said in his letter that there was going to be a get-together later, for all the event participants."

"Really?" The cap-wearing teen looked nonplussed for a moment, then shrugged, hands folded behind his head. "Well, as long as dinner's included in that li'l get-together…"

"Tyson-!"

There was another round of laughter, this time at Kyouju's dismayed face; one would think that the brown-haired mechanic was used to his friend's penchant for food, so that sort of statement wouldn't have been out of character for him. For all the laughter and joking around, though, Tyson was quite contemplative, if not downright serious. The just-finished match played over and over in his head. He wouldn't admit it, but it had been a closer battle than he or Blader DJ let on.

Suddenly, Max grabbed the bill of his cap, yanking it around to the front and pulling it low over Tyson's head. "H-hey!" The steel-blue-eyed teen fixed the blue-and-red accessory. He shook his head briefly, both to get his bangs out of his eyes, and to stop himself from thinking over the battle too much.

"Your fault for not paying attention," Max chided. Tyson merely chuckled, not letting up his current charade. He didn't want to think about how close he'd come to losing.

* * *

_So that's them…_

He'd often wondered about them, this Team BBA. He'd spent the last week or so looking for them, and later observing, careful not to get too close. Or if he did, he made sure to disappear quickly so as not to draw attention to himself. Not that it had been too difficult a task. In any case, he'd found them. It should make things easier.

The teen stood at last, pausing only to adjust his studded belt – it had ridden up when he sat down. Once more, training had kicked in, and he'd chosen a seat towards the back of the bleachers, in the same area as Kai and the others. He'd have to remember to thank the chairman for helping him get into the same hotel – perhaps a brief explanation on certain matters would do.

This…obligation to the kindly elder was the least of his worries.

First when he'd led Rei and Tyson back to the hotel, then on the rooftop with Kai, and finally at the Rokuon-ji, he'd been close enough for at least one of them to catch a glimpse of him. A telling glimpse, if what he'd overheard after those encounters was anything to go by. Now, they'd be on the lookout for someone who looked like the phoenix blader. It would now be harder to approach them, if they were going to be that wary.

However, he'd found the blue-black-haired female blader as well, and so soon after he'd settled in at his hotel room. How convenient that they should be attending the same event.

Though her first name had been drowned out by exuberant cheers and whoops before the match with Tyson, the dark-clad teen knew it, and thought its meaning fit her quite well.

_A flame both gentle and scorching hot with passion. _

He wondered who had chosen that name for her, as it was more masculine than feminine. Then again, it _did_ have a nice ring to it, and he felt she wouldn't be the same person had she had another name.

A final glance at Tyson and his friends on the competition floor – they were still quite rowdy and not yet ready to leave the newly-opened facility – and he turned away, strode towards the nearest exit doors. If he lingered any longer, it would look suspicious. To those he observed below, at least.

He'd find Chairman Daitenji, thank him for his help, and then…

And then what?


End file.
